Medical Professionals and Physical Therapists trust the benefits of the WaterRower and Rowing as an excellent cardio exercise. Burning up to 1000 calories per hour and working out up to 84% of your muscle mass during one exercise, rowing offers a tremendously beneficial exercise without the perceived fatigue and exhaustion often apparent when using other cardio training gym equipment.

With the smaller boats, specialist versions of the shells for sculling can be made lighter. The riggers in sculling apply the forces symmetrically to each side of the boat, whereas in sweep oared racing these forces are staggered alternately along the boat. The sweep oared boat has to be stiffer to handle these unmatched forces, so consequently requires more bracing and is usually heavier – a pair (2-) is usually a more robust boat than a double scull (2x) for example, and being heavier is also slower when used as a double scull. In theory this could also apply to the 4x and 8x, but most rowing clubs cannot afford to have a dedicated large hull which might be rarely used and instead generally opt for versatility in their fleet by using stronger shells which can be rigged for either sweep rowing or sculling. The symmetrical forces also make sculling more efficient than rowing: the double scull is faster than the coxless pair, and the quadruple scull is faster than the coxless four.

The coxswain (or simply the cox) is the member who sits in the boat facing the bow, steers the boat, and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers - by communicating to the crew through a device called a cox box and speakers. They usually sit in the stern of the boat, except in bowloaders where the coxswain lies in the bow. Bowloader are usually seen as the coxed four and coxed pair type of boat.

Unlike the 1445, the Elite Wave Water Rowing Machine includes an upgraded, high-end fitness monitor and a chest strap heart rate sensor. Programmed to sync seamlessly with the multi-function monitor, the data the sensor provides allows you to tailor your workout. For example, you can target a certain heart rate for weight loss or to increase endurance by adjusting your rowing speed and therefore, your rowing intensity. In addition to pulse, the multi-function monitor also tracks distance, time, calories burned, stroke count and strokes per minute to further motivate you during your rowing session. For further customization, users can also add or remove water using the included siphon to either increase or decrease the resistance.
Most races that are held in the spring and summer feature side by side racing, or sprint racing, sometimes called a regatta; all the boats start at the same time from a stationary position and the winner is the boat that crosses the finish line first. The number of boats in a race typically varies between two (which is sometimes referred to as a dual race) to eight, but any number of boats can start together if the course is wide enough.
Outside of resistance type, we found the number-one arbiter of ride feel to be cord quality. Water ergometers tend to employ nylon cords, while air ergometers feature metal chains — a durability factor we anticipated would result in our favoring air. But while all three water rowers aced our expectation of smooth, high-tension strokes, perfecting the chain seems to be more difficult: Some tug with just a slight rumble, others feature bouncy, grinding chains that are incredibly loud, something akin to angry snoring. As for nylon, the best wind and unwind like elastic silk — no slack, no sound, no catching, just perfectly even tension throughout the stroke.